GREATHAM PAEDOPHILE CARL HUTCHINSON SHOCKS TEESSIDE COURT WITH SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING CHILDREN

In May 2016, a disturbing case unfolded at Teesside Crown Court involving Carl Hutchinson, a 29-year-old maintenance worker from Greatham, who was found guilty of a series of heinous sexual offences involving children. The court heard that Hutchinson had engaged in the creation and distribution of indecent images of minors, a crime that has left the community and the victims' families deeply shaken.

Hutchinson’s criminal activities came to light after police initiated routine surveillance of social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. During this investigation, authorities tracked his online activity, which revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior. The evidence presented in court detailed how Hutchinson had doctored innocent holiday photographs of children, adding sexually explicit images and sharing these manipulated pictures across the internet. This act of digital abuse was not isolated; it was part of a broader pattern of sexual offending that the court described as a 'catalogue of sexual offending' that shocked even the presiding judge, Shaun Morris.

Judge Morris, dressed in formal attire, addressed Hutchinson directly in the courtroom, emphasizing the gravity of his crimes. He stated, “You have pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sexual offending which shocked me, and I take some shocking.” The judge highlighted the malicious intent behind Hutchinson’s actions, noting that one of the original photographs involved three children. Hutchinson, along with another known paedophile with whom he was in regular contact online, superimposed sexually explicit images onto these innocent pictures, turning joyful family scenes into scenes of depravity.

The court was told that Hutchinson had obtained images of children from two different families. He deliberately uploaded these images onto Facebook, further spreading the abuse. In a disturbing detail, Hutchinson had also shared these images with his online accomplice, rewarding him by sending pictures from his own collection. Judge Morris condemned these acts, stating, “They are out there now for the rest of time,” emphasizing the permanence of digital crimes.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield provided further details, revealing that one of the photographs was taken at Seaton Carew. The evidence showed that Hutchinson possessed a significant amount of child pornography, with most of the images classified as Category A, the most serious level. The material included videos and images of children as young as two years old, with one video lasting approximately 50 minutes. The total number of images handled by Hutchinson was staggering: 145 at Category A, 107 at Category B, and 135 at Category C, with the majority of the victims being girls aged between four and eight.

Hutchinson pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including encouraging the commission of offences, distributing indecent photographs, making indecent photographs, possessing extreme pornography, and possessing obscene articles for publication. His court record listed an address on Gloucester Road, Bristol, although he was a resident of Greatham.

In response to the severity of his crimes, the court imposed a substantial sentence. Hutchinson was sentenced to five years in prison, with an additional 12 months on licence upon release. Furthermore, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. To further protect the public, the judge also issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting Hutchinson’s access to the internet and contact with children, aiming to prevent any future harm and to serve as a reminder of the seriousness of his offences.